ECC Stories 2025 - Victor Graciano: Travel Abroad to Spain

Elgin Community College’s mission to improve people’s lives through learning extends outside its campus walls and internal curriculums. ECC students can immerse themselves in another culture through a wide range of study abroad opportunities, from traditional semester and summer programs to short-term, experiential experiences and virtual exchange programs.  

Last summer, ECC student Victor Graciano attended the Summer 2024 program at the International College of Seville (ICS). Read on the learn more about his unique experience abroad in Seville, Spain. 

My name is Victor Graciano, and I attended the Summer 2024 program at the International College of Seville (ICS). There were roughly 50 to 70 students at ICS, so the close-knit community offered many benefits, including a sense of security in a new country. Through ICS, I met new friends from all over the United States and Europe. 

Seville, Spain is a city more ancient than Rome and Paris, and the varying architectural styles throughout town confirm it. Spain is incredible for fluent Spanish speakers just as much as it is for beginners in the language. I was raised in a Mexican household, so I chose Seville as my study abroad destination so that I may be able to independently explore the country and discover everything I didn’t know about my Hispanic heritage. Already fluent in Spanish, I spent my time learning about Spain’s 2,800-year-old history under the influence of many great Mediterranean civilizations. It was also great to accompany friends around the city and interpret for them. It feels noble to help people out, and this rewarding feeling will definitely make your stay more enjoyable. If you speak Spanish or have another skill that will benefit others, don’t keep it a secret! 

For introverts and extroverts alike, the numerous parks and other public spaces around provide everyone with the opportunity to have fun and soak in Andalusian culture. You may walk around the biodiverse Maria Luisa Park and practice your Spanish with friends and locals, or you may walk past the horse carriages under the shade of the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and learn from its stories in the oldest part of town. Furthermore, you may get a taste of European nightlife under Las Zetas, the largest wooden structure in the world, or you may get a taste of the best gelato outside of Italy.  

If you stay with ICS, you will have the opportunity to venture into Cordoba, Western Europe’s magnificent medieval stronghold for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Also, a weekend trip through the southern coast of Portugal, with its stunning cliffside beaches and cool waters. A spectacular weekend trip to Morocco is also included, crossing the door frame of the ancient Mediterranean to North Africa, and traveling through Morocco’s pine-forested mountains to destinations such as Chefchaouen, the Blue City. When I stayed in Tetouan, the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, rode past our hotel before our eyes. So, who knows what special things you may encounter if you enroll in the summer 2025 study abroad? 

Learn more about Study Abroad opportunities at ECC by visiting elgin.edu/studyabroad.